Pittsburgh Steelers

Steelers defense comes up huge in fourth quarter, Pittsburgh wins 16-10

Image 1 of 19

CINCINNATI, OH - NOVEMBER 24: Devlin Hodges #6 of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws the ball during the second half against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium on November 24, 2019 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

CINCINNATI — The Steelers defense came up large when they needed it most. First Devin Bush forced a Tyler Boyd fumble as the Bengals were driving.

Then Bud Dupree stripped the ball from Cincinnati's quarterback late in the game to seal the win for Pittsburgh.

The Steelers escaped, winning 16-10.

ORIGINAL STORY:

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in Cincinnati for another divisional matchup, this time against the Bengals for Week 12. And the Steelers are sitting a little lighter when it comes to their wallets.

Tyson Alualu, Mark Barron, Tony Brooks-James, Bud Dupree, Terrell Edmunds, Trey Edmunds, Matt Feiler, Minkah Fitzpatrick, Ramon Foster, Mike Hilton, Johnny Holton, Tevin Jones, Kameron Kelly, Maurkice Pouncey, Mason Rudolph, Jaylen Samuels, Robert Spillane, Cameron Sutton, James Washington, T.J. Watt and Vince Williams were all fined and/or suspended by the NFL for their role in the brawl at the end of the Steelers-Browns "Thursday Night Football" matchup.

You can customize your WPXI News App to receive alerts for sports newsCLICK HERE to find out how.

The winless Bengals, meanwhile, are still searching for their first win of the 2019 season. The Steelers are without their best quarterback, their best receiver, their best running back and their starting center.

Ben Roethlisberger was lost to a season-ending elbow surgery. Juju Smith-Schuster suffered a concussion and a knee injury against the Browns in their last game. James Conner reinjured his shoulder against the Browns. Maurkice Pouncey was suspended for two games, reduced down from three, for his role in the brawl at the end of the game against the Browns.

RELATED: 33 players disciplined by NFL for brawl between Steelers and Browns

It's something the Bengals defense has to be keying on. While the Mason Rudolph-led Steelers put up 27 points on the Bengals in their last meeting, this is a much different team.

The Steelers defense ranks second in the league with a plus-9 when it comes to turnovers. Take those away, however, and the team has struggled to put points on the board and secure the win. The Bengals, on the other hand, have had nine turnovers in just the last three games.

Look for the Steelers to key on former Pitt standout Tyler Boyd. The Bengals' best wide receiver has said he's frustrated this season that he's not being targeted and not getting the ball.

READ MORE: Juju Smith-Schuster, James Conner not playing Sunday against Bengals

The Bengals are tied at 29th in the league with 36 sacks allowed. The Steelers defense is ranked fourth with 34 sacks this season. While the Bengals do get an injured offensive tackle back for this game, it could still be a big day for the defensive line and outside linebackers T.J. Watt and Bud Dupree.

Other notes ahead of kickoff:

  • Kickoff is at 1 p.m. on CBS.
  • The game will be played in Cincinnati at Paul Brown Stadium.
  • Look for a heavy dose of the run game from the Steelers despite not having Conner and Pouncey. The Bengals defense has given up 1,670 rushing yards this season.
  • The Bengals are playing a rookie QB in Ryan Finley.
  • BJ Finney starts at Center for the Steelers in Pouncey's absence.
  • RB Benny Snell is expected back for the Steelers.
  • WR Diontae Johnson and LB Ola Adeniyi both cleared concussion protocol and have been full participants in practice.
  • The Bengals are 0-10 while the Steelers are 5-5.

TRENDING NOW: